Henrik Stenson’s astonishingly quick fall from grace in European golf gathered even more pace on Thursday when he resigned from the DP World Tour. From Ryder Cup captain to the wilderness in under nine months.
Telegraph Sport exclusively revealed earlier this week that Wentworth HQ would hit the rebels who joined LIV Golf with fines of up to £500,000 and that some of the circuit’s biggest names would follow the likes of legendary Ryder Cup trio Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia who handed in their cards last week after the initial punishments.
And Stenson, the 2016 Open champion, was the first to take the walk, immediately after the Toru announced their further sanctions.
The 47-year-old’s time in the Ryder Cup hotseat had been bizarre enough anyway – with Stenson accepting the role in March 2022, before being lured by a $40million deal from the Saudi-funded league just a few months later – but now it takes on an even more surreal feel.
“I just want to thank everyone on the European Tour,” Stenson, who was replaced by Luke Donald, said. “I’m sad to leave.”
This could herald a flood of departures. Martin Kaymer, the two-time major winner, has not yet resigned but he is believed to be on the brink after being informed he is banned for eight Tour events and cannot play in the Porsche Europe Open in Germany later this month.
Kaymer has already paid a £100,000 fine but it is understood that he will have to shell out another 400,000 if he wishes to remain a member. That would not be the end of it as the fines will keep racking up as long as he stays on LIV.
A statement from the DP World Tour read: “In total, 26 players were today informed individually of the sanctions applicable to them based on the specific conflicting tournaments they each played in, as a DP World Tour member, without being granted a release.
“These sanctions include fines and, where appropriate, tournament suspensions.
“Where fines were issued to players they ranged from £12,500 to £100,000 for each individual breach of the Conflicting Tournament Regulation.
“Players who have resigned their membership will not be eligible for reinstatement unless and until they pay their fines and their suspensions will apply from then onwards. Further sanctions for breaches of the Conflicting Tournament Regulation… will be considered in due course.”
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